It’s the oldest rivalry in rugby league and it gets another instalment on Friday night as the cardinal and myrtle up against the tricolours. The home side aiming to add another chapter to the ‘Book of Fueds’ after the dramatic events which occurred in their final meeting of 2021. Check out our full preview for the Roosters vs Rabbitohs from Accor Stadium below.
Remember, we have betting tips for every game this NRL season, so be sure to head to our NRL Tips page for regular updates.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Sydney Roosters
Accor Stadium, Friday 25th March, 8:05pm (AEDT)
Sqauds
South Sydney Rabbitohs
1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Taane Milne 4. Campbell Graham 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Mark Nicholls 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Aarow 13 Cameron Murray Interchange: 14. Jacob Host 15. Siliva Havili 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Liam Knight 18. Josh Mansour
Sydney Roosters
1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Joseph Manu 5. Billy Smith 6. Sam Walker 7. Luke Keary 8. Lindsay Collins 9. Connor Watson 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Nat Butcher 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Victor Radley Interchange: 14. Drew Hutchinson 15. Fletcher Baker 16. Angus Crichton 17. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Match Preview
Not that these two sides needed any more motivation against one another, but the Manu v Mitchell incident is fresh in fans’ minds and will be a focal point of this fixture. The second match on Friday night heads out to Homebush as the Rabbitohs host the Roosters and this game promises to be a great one. The Rabbitohs are winless to start the year and will be desperate to overcome their old enemy, while the Roosters found their winning form with a dominant display against the Sea Eagles for most of the match. Even if you loath both sides, this is one game that every NRL fan will love to watch.
The form of the Rabbitohs improved somewhat from Round 1 into Round 2 and this coincided with the return of Latrell Mitchell at fullback, but it was still not enough to capture victory. If anything, their final 10 minutes of the match masked what was otherwise a poor performance (62% completion rate – 18 errors). It’s as if they are close to a victory but are ruining their chances by making simple errors. Their new combinations are also taking longer to form but the makings of a capable team are evident. The Roosters easily accounted for the Sea Eagles with a strong first half which saw them lead 22-nil.
The Sea Eagles closed the margin in the second half, but it was a comfortable enough win following their Round 1 upset loss. They are a team that you can always expect a strong performance from and are more reliable than the Rabbitohs. This is perhaps why the Roosters are favourites for this encounter, but it will be far closer than the odds ($2.35 v $1.60). The value lies in the Rabbitohs. The Roosters are arguably the superior team at this stage of the season but the Rabbitohs are yet to find their groove.
The fact that they pushed the Storm into Golden Point says a lot about their performance compared to an easy first half win for the Roosters against an underperforming team. There is also a strong chance that the meagre form of the Sea Eagles flattered the Roosters. Despite 4 out of the past 5 games being decided by 13+ points, the poor weather conditions and rivalry suggests that this match will be anything but close.
Alternate Bet:
Rabbitohs +3.5 ($1.90 at Sportsbet)
If you want/need to make a call, there is a slight lean towards the Rabbitohs. To be safer, take them at the line (which also supports our best bet).
Either Team by Under 6.5
$2.25 (1 Unit)
